Board game apparatus with game pieces interlocked for movement as a unit



Sept. 9, 1969 c. A. SOMERVILLE 3,466,044

BOARD GAME APPARATUS WITH GAME PIECES INTERLOCKED FOR MO2V3EMEN9T6 AS A UNIT Filed May 6 INVENTOR.

Crag a. Somervz'lle BY United States Patent 3,466,044 BOARD GAME APPARATUS WITH GAME PIECES INTERLOCKED FOR MOVEMENT AS A UNIT Craig A. Somerville, 1052 Fairfax St., Birmingham, Mich. 48009 Filed May 23, 1966, Ser. No. 552,247 Int. Cl. A63f 3/ 02, 3/00; A63h 13/00 U.S. Cl. 273-131 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Game equipment including a game board and a plurality of game pieces. Each game piece includes a rectangular base portion and a figure representing a cavalryman, or a lancer, or an archer, on the base portion. Each base portion includes tabs extending outwardly from adjacent side edges and correspondingly shaped apertures in adjacent side edges oppositely disposed from the side edges having the tabs. The tabs and apertures in the base portions of game pieces of all of one form are differently shaped than the tabs and apertures in the game pieces having different forms so that they cannot be connected together, i.e., a cavalryman cannot be connected to an archer. The game board surface is divided into a plurality of rectangles of the same dimensions, and the base portion of each game piece is dimensioned to exactly fit within one of said rectangles.

This invention relates to equipment for playing a game, and more particularly to a game board and game pieces which may be moved along the board in a particular predetermined manner and according to predetermined rules and regulations.

It is quite popular for boys to play -with toy soldiers, or the like, for recreational enjoyment. Such toy soldiers are easily available or easily hand made and may be of any shape or form, permitting numerous games to be played with them, or to establish historical battles that have been fought. Such toys are usually in the form of uniform soldiers extending upwardly from a base structure to support the soldier on the surface. In the past, such games have had no rules or regulations, and have been played by making up rules and regulations as th# game proceeds. In the case of establishing and follow ing historical battles, or the like, the movement of troops and armies takes place according to the historical facts.

In any of these games there is great difficulty in moving the toy soldiers from place to place, particularly since the soldiers must be moved individually and painstakingly relocated according to changed battle lines or changed troop positions. When large numbers of toy soldiers are involved, making up a unit or units that must be moved from one place to another, the operation is time consuming and difficult, inhibiting formation of established rules and regulations and detracting from the enjoyment of the troop movements and actual battle.

It is here proposed to provide game equipment which is so designed as to permit established rules and regulations for troop movements and the like, and, at the same time, provide for moving varying numbers of soldiers as a unit from one place to another. Such apparatus includes, generally, a game board marked off into a series of rectangles, and a plurality of toy soldiers having base members so constructed as to permit interlocking with or removable securement to other base members of other toy soldiers. This permits formation of a group of soldiers in a unit and movement of an entire unit or group of soldiers from place to place, or reorientation of the unit relative to the game board as desired. The game pieces may take different forms, as will become hereinafter more 3,466,044 Patented Sept. 9, 1969 ice apparent, such as infantrymen, archers, cavalrymen and the like. Differing moves and different forms may easily be ascribed to such different game pieces.

Toy soldiers constructed in this manner permit easy and simple movement as a unit, should a plurality of such soldiers be formed in a unit, the securing means being such as to readily disassemble or assemble a unit as the game proceeds. The base structures may be simply constructed and do not present manufacturing difiiculties, whether the soldiers are to be manufactured commercially or manufactured in common and Well known small lead molds, or the like. Such game pieces present extreme versatility in establishing rules and regulations for game play, and may be used with a regularly established game or may be used, either interlocked or separated, Without any rules and regulations for the variant purposes to which such toy soldiers are put.

These and other advantages will become more apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a game board with game pieces located thereupon to indicate the form of game pieces and the releasable securement of the base members.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the base structures of a plurality of game pieces indicating the manner in which a unit may be formed.

.,,Referring more particularly to the drawing, FIGURE 1 best illustrates the game equipment and the manner in which the equipment may be combined to establish a game. A game board, indicated generally by the numeral 10, may be of any suitable construction and is divided into a plurality of rectangles extending over the entire surface of the board. The division lines may be located on the board in any suitable manner, or in any desirable orientation, the number of spaces in either direction being suited to the game played with the apparatus.

Slidable on the surface of the board 10 are a plurality of game pieces, indicated generally by the numerals 14, 16 and 18, such game pieces being formed to represent human figures in attitudes of archers, infantrymen and cavalrymen, respectively; although it will become readily apparent that such attitudes are not limiting, and any suitable form can be supplied. The game pieces 14 and 16 include base portions that are alike and are indicated generally by the numeral 20. Such base portions 20 have flat lower surfaces which easily slide across the surface of the game board 10 and which support the figures 22 and 24 on the upper surfaces thereof. The base portions 20 may be of a size substantially the same as the size of the rectangles 12 on the game board 10, for ease in establishing rules and regulations for a particular game.

Extending outwardly for adjacent side edges of the base portions 20 are tabs 26, shown to be of generally circular form. Extending inwardly along opposite adjacent edges of the base portions 20 are apertures or grooves 28, complementary in shape to the tabs 26. As illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, the tabs 26 of one base portion 20 may be removably received with ease in the corresponding grooves or apertures 28 in adjacent game pieces. The game pieces are then interlocked to permit movement of two or more game pieces as a unit.

Reference to game pieces 18 will indicate that a different type of interlocking means may be provided, wherein dovetail tabs 30 formed on adjacent sides of the base portions 32 may be received in dovetail grooves 34 formed in the opposite adjacent sides of base portions 32. It may be that in the established rules and regulations of the game certain game pieces may not be interlocked to other game pieces, such as, for example, cavalrymen 36 in FIG- URE 1 not being permitted to be incorporated with archers 22 or infantrymen 24, to form a unit. On the other hand, it may be desirable to provide all the base portions 20 and 32 with like interlocking means such as circular tabs 26 and circular apertures 28, or alternatively with dovetail tabs 30 and dovetail grooves 34. At the same time, other interlocking systems might be used in place of the tabs and grooves, including external means such as magnets or electromagnetic means of one kind or another.

As previously indicated, the figures representative of human and/or animal forms are mounted on the base portions 20 and 32, such forms being different in order to signify different game pieces for the particular game being played. Each game piece also includes means for indicating the direction of travel along the game board, such means being the direction in which the human and/ or animal form is facing or the direction the weapons are pointed, such as the swords of the cavalrymen, the =1ances of the lancers, or the arrows of the archers. Other indicia might be utilized, rather than the human form, such as a large block letter A on the game pieces 14 in place of the human forms to indicate game pieces 14 as archers. Similarly, a game piece 16 might include a large block letter I to indicate infantrymen, and the game pieces 18 might include a large block letter C to indicate cavalrymen. Obviously other indicia are contemplated, it being only necessary to distinguish one game piece from another, or one group of game pieces from another. Means may be provided to permit one set of game pieces to be distinguished from an opponents set of game pieces, such as by colour or other indicia. Similarly, other types of game pieces may be provided to indicate other battle equipment. These may take the form of tanks, artillery, battering rams, stone throwers, or the like. Such game pieces will also be provided with base interlocking means for combination with other game pieces as desired.

With game pieces constructed as above described, it is apparent that groups of game pieces may be easily formed by joining individual game pieces through the interlocking means on the base portions. Once the group or unit is formed, it is readily moved as a unit across the surface of the game board 10, as provided by the game regulations. Should it be necessary to remove game pieces from the unit, as a result of being captured, or the like, such game pieces are easily disconnected from the unit without disturbing the remainder of the game pieces in the unit. The unit may continue to be moved from location to location on the surface of the board, or it may easily be combined with other units or other game pieces as desired.

Changes in and modifications of the structure herebefore described and illustrated will become apparent to those skilled in the art after having had reference-to the foregoing description and drawing.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. Equipment for playing a game on a game surface comprising: a plurality of first game pieces each comprising an upstanding figure mounted on a base having side edges and a substantially flat bottom to stand on the surface, a tab extending laterally outwardly from at least one side edge of the base and a correspondingly shaped aperture formed in an opposite side edge of the base to permit the first pieces to be detachably linked together and moved across the surface as a self-supporting unit; and a plurality of second game pieces each comprising an upstanding figure mounted on a base having side edges and a substantially flat bottom to stand on the surface, a tab extending laterally outwardly from at least one side edge of the base and a correspondingly shaped aperture formed in an opposite side edge of the base to permit the second pieces to be detachably linked together and moved across the surface as a self-supporting unit; the first and second game piece figures representing first and second distinguishable characters respectively whereby the linkedtogether units may be disposed on the surface as representing opposing battle groups.

2. Equipment as defined in claim 1 wherein the tabs and apertures of the first game pieces are shaped differently from the tabs and apertures of the second game pieces so that game pieces of differing characters cannot be linked together in a common group.

3. Equipment as defined in claim 2 wherein the tabs and apertures of the first game pieces are circular in plan and the tabs and apertures of the second game pieces are dovetail in plan.

4. Equipment as defined in claim 2 wherein each of the first and second game piece figures are representations of a human figure having a forward attitude to indicate the direction of advancement thereof across the surface.

5. Equipment as defined in claim 4 wherein said figures on said first game pieces are disposed in the attitude of archers.

6. Equipment as defined in claim 4 wheerin said figures on said second game pieces are disposed in the attitude of infantrymen.

'7. Equipment as defined in claim 4 wherein said figures on said first game pieces are representative of cavalrymen astride horses.

8. Equipment for playing a game comprising:

a game board marked off into a plurality of regularly shaped divisions;

first game pieces having base portions substantially the same size as the divisions on said board and slidable along the surface thereof, said base portions having tabs extending outwardly from two adjacent sides thereof and correspondingly shaped apertures in two adjacent sides opposite the sides having said tabs, said tabs on any of said base portions being receivable in said apertures in any other of said base portions on said first game pieces, said tabs and said apertures permitting at least some of said first game pieces to be removably secured together for movement as a unit across said board, and said base portions of said first game pieces having forms extending upwardly from said base portions to identify said first game pieces;

second game pieces having base portions substantially the same size as the divisions on said board and slidable along the surface thereof, said base portions having tabs extending outwardly from two adjacent sides thereof and correspondingly shaped apertures in two adjacent sides opposite the sides having said tabs, said tabs on any of said base portions being receivable in said apertures in any other of said base portions on said second game pieces, said tabs and said apertures permitting at least some of said second game pieces to be removably secured together for movement as a unit across said board, said base portions of said second game pieces having forms extending upwardly therefrom and different from said forms on said first game pieces to identify said second game pieces and distinguish said second game pieces from said first game pieces.

9. Equipment as defined in claim 4 including a game board forming the game surface, the board carrying indicia dividing :the surface into regularly shaped divisions for indicating placement of the game pieces relative to one another.

10. A game piece comprising: upstanding figure mounted on a base having four side edges and a substantially flat bottom, tabs extending laterally outwardly from a pair of adjacent side edges and correspondingly shaped apertures formed in the side edges disposed opposite said pair to permit the piece to be linked with one or two similar pieces for movement across the surface as a selfsupporting unit.

11. A game piece as set forth in claim 10 wherein said figure is representative of a human being.

(References on following page) References Cited UNITED FOREIGN PATENTS STATES PATENTS 637,544 3/ 1962 Canada.

25,661 1899 Great Britain. Coventry 22 1915 Great Britain. 3:532 273137 5 DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner Svejnoha 273-131 X U-S- X-R- Blanck 273-131 46115, 153; 273-137 

